Fastener



Sept. 21, 1943. D. A. BRENNAN FASTENER Original Filed Dec. 16, 1940 forengaging and holding the Patented Sept. 21, 1943 UNITED YIFASTENER-Daniel A. Brennan, deceased, late of Chicago, Ill.,

" by Elmer L. Zwickel, executor, Chicago, 111., as-

. signor to Acco Products, Inc., Long Island City,

N. Y., a corporation of New York a Original applicationDecember16, 1940,Serial No. Q 370,372. Divided and this application July 22,

1942, Serial NO. 451,846

This application is a division of applicants co-pending applicationSerial No; 370,372, filed December 16, 1940;

' The invention relates broadly to a paper fas- :tener compressor of atype to be associated. with a base having spaced prongs adaptedto beextended through openings in a stack :of papers and bent over the topface of said stack for binding them together; and more particularly to acompressor including resiliently flexible means prongs in bent overconcealed position. Y H

An object of the invention is to provide a resiliently flexible paperfastener compressor having novel means to cooperate with prongs of anasso-' ciated base to hold them together inbe'nt down position over thepapers. v

Another object is to provide a; paper fastener compressor embodyingresiliently flexible means manually depressible to efiect'disengagementof its prong engaging means from the prongs.

Another object is to provide apaper fastener compressor, of the typeadapted to have yieldable gripping means engageable with prongs of anassociated base, which is easy to assemble in place on a stack ofpapers, simple to operate, positive in operation, and inexpensive tomanufacture. The foregoing and'such'other objects ofthe invention aswill appear hereinafter as the description proceeds, will be morereadily under;

stood from a perusal of the following specification, in which, referenceis had to the accom-f panying drawing; wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of the compressor showing itattached to! prongs of an associated base element.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of one of the two identical ends ofanother form of compressor, showing it associated with an underlyingprong.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken 0 line 4--4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the form of fastener illustrated in Figs. 1 and. 2, thefastener includes: a base element II having spaced apart bendable prongsl2 at each end. The base element I I is. adapted to be placed againstone face of a stack of loose sheets I3 with its prongs extending throughaligned holes therein and bent down inwardly toward each other over andagainst the other face of said stack.

A compressor I5, formed of a strip of resiliently flexible sheetmaterial such as, for example;

sheet steel, .-pressboard, plastic, or the like, is arranged over thebent down prong portions. I

Displacement of the compressor I5 is avoided by providingsuitabledetents or lips, IE on the bottom face of the compressor,-preferably along each longitudinal edgethereof, which extend but ashortdistance inwardly from each end." As shown, the lips I6 are arranged in,pairs spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the width of theprongs and suitably deformedto have a snapping or yieldable grippingengagement with the side; edges of the underlyingprongiportionadjacenttheir bends.

The compressor I5 preferably embodies means whereby thelips It mayeasily and quickly be disengaged from their gripping engagement withthe'underlying prongs for remowal of the comp'r'esso'r, Such meanspreferably is provided adjacent each end thereof, and may include transfverse ribs IT-struck downwardly in the compressor body'onednwardly ofand closely adjacent to the inner terminal of respective pairs of lipsIt. The ribs IT project below the bottom face of compressor 15 adistance slightly less than the d epth'of lips I8 so as to rest firmlyupon-the .t'op surfacefof the underlying prong while said lips are inyieldable gripping engagement there- The medialportion of the compressorstrip preferably is" depressed as at IB also'into'the plane o-f the ribsI'I.- As best shown in Fig, 2*, the centrally depressed portion I8terminates a suitable distance short 'of-each rib IT was to define anelevated depressible bridge portion I9 inwardly of each rib ll. Ifdesired the depressed medial portion I8 of the compressor may besuitably reinforced against flexing by an offset preferably in the formof a central longitudinal rib 2 I.

When the compressor is mounted securely in place both end portionsthereof assume positions substantial as illustrated in the left hand endof the fastener shown in Fig. 2. In order to easily and quickly removethe compressor, the depressible portion I9 at each end is depressedmanually, as illustrated at the right hand side of Fig. 2, causing theextreme end portion of the compressor'to flex upwardly angularlyrelative to the normal plane of the compressor. This upward flexingmomentarily of the end portions of the compressor pulls the lips I6 outof engagement of the underlying prong and the compressor is freed foreasy removal. The prongs may then be straightened and papers added to orremoved from the stack.

It should be evident at this time that the instant structure permits amore firm gripping action by the lips [B then might ordinarily bepractical with a one piece compressor inasmuch as positive means isprovided integral with said compressor to effect separation of theparts.

The compressor illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 is functionally andgenerally like that previously described. In this arrangement, shortlongitudinally extending ribs 22 are provided on the bottom face of thecompressor one inwardly of and co-extensive with each detent or liplfi.These ribs, like the transverse ribs ll of the previously describeddevice, rest against the top face of underlying prong portion I2 whenthe lipsare in yieldable gripping engagement with said prong. Theportion of the compressor at each end between the ribs 22 may beprovided with fining parts inwardly of each rib manually enan elevatedportion or projection 23 so as to r facilitate manual depression of saidportion to efiect outward spreading of the lips 16 to release theunderlying prong portion.

Although exemplary forms of the improved compressor have been shown inthe accompanying drawing and described in detail in the foregoingspecification, it should be understood that each device may embody avariety of modifications without departing from the spirit of theinvention or the scope of appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A fastener compressor comprising an elongated resiliently flexiblestrip adapted to overlie prongs of an associated base element after saidprongs are bent down against the top face of a file of papers,transverse ribs on the bottom face of said strip one inwardly of eachend adapted to bear against the prongs when the strip is in positionthereover, a pair of lips on each end of said strip extending betweensaid ribs and the associated ends, said lips being adapted to embracesaid bent down prongs to hold the strip in place thereover, and adepressible portion in said strip inwardly of each rib effective whendepressed to urge the end portions of the strip upwardly to disengagethe lips from said prongs,

2. A compressor for paper fasteners comprising an elongated strip ofsheet material adapted to overlie prongs of an associated base elementafter said prongs are bent down against the top face of a stack ofpapers to be bound, spaced longitudinal detents at each end of saidcompressor adapted to engage said prongs, a transverse rib adjacent eachend of the compressor each projecting in the same direction as saiddetents, and

gageable to deflect the end portions angularly to the plane of thestrip.

4. In a paper fastener compressor, in combination, spaced elements atthe ends of said compressor adapted to yieldingly embrace prongs of anassociated base member, and resilient means in said compressorassociated with but spaced from said elements effective when depressedto disengage said elements from the prongs,

5. A fastener compressor comprising a strip of thin sheet materialadapted to be positioned over at least one bent down prong of anassociated base element, spaced lips on at least one end of said stripadapted to embracingly engage said prong, a pair of spaced longitudinalribs at said end of the strip projecting in the same direction as andone adjacent each lip, and a projection between said ribs extending inthe opposite direction from said ribs, pressure on said projectioneffecting release of said lips from the prong.

6. .A one-piece fastener compressor comprising a resiliently flexiblestrip having depending lips on its longitudinal edges extending inwardlylongitudinally from each end adapted to cooperate with prongs of anassociated base member, and a depressible portion in said strip betweensaid lips at each end eifective to spread the lips apart transversely.

7. In a paper fastener compressor, in combination, spaced elementsintegral with the ends of said compressor adapted to yieldingly embracethe rongs of an associated base member, and resilient means in saidcompressor spaced from but associated with said elements effective whendepressed to disengage said elements from the prongs. I

. ELMER L. ZWICKEL,- Emecutor of the Estate ofDanz'el ApBrennan,Deceased. i '1

